The responses from German workers to a recent Gallup survey are some of the last things that companies want to hear from their employees during a pandemic: Few German employees currently believe their corporate leadership can be trusted to manage emerging challenges or that their company cares about employees' wellbeing.
In fact, about one in three German employees (32%) interviewed in late March strongly agree that their organization cares about their wellbeing, and even fewer (27%) strongly agree that they have confidence "in the leadership of the company to successfully manage emerging challenges."
Further, no question more specific to their company's response in the current climate elicited a majority strong-positive response -- not even close:
- 33% strongly agree that their employer has communicated a clear plan of action in response to the coronavirus.
- 26% are confident that their company's health policies will keep them safe.
- 33% feel well prepared to do their job.
- 39% say their immediate supervisor keeps them informed about what is going on in their organization.
But other results from the survey also suggest it isn't too late for German employers to win back their employees' trust and boost engagement -- if they act fast.
Read more about this study and the tips that policymakers and researchers can use to investigate and explore their own challenges and opportunities to build trust.
